Many printing devices apply ink to a print medium. The cost of a printing job is related to the amount of ink used during printing and other factors. Predicting the amount of ink used for a print job prior to printing may allow user to accurately estimate the cost of a print job, to determine whether the printer has sufficient ink to complete a printing operation, and to achieve other benefits. Typical printers may calculate a predicted amount of ink for a print job based on average ink used in previous print operations. Predicted ink calculations based on average ink used in previous print operations may, however, be insufficiently accurate for high volume print operations and more complex printing operations. As such, many print service providers build large margins into their estimated printing cost in order to ensure adequate profit on a print job.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.